I hadn’t heard much about the Ukraine but thought it was time to head over to check it out. I was interested to see what remnants there were from the Soviet Era.

It was very easy to get from the airport to the city by bus and once there, the metro system in Kiev is excellent, easy to navigate and cheap. You buy little plastic coins to pop into the gate when entering a station; all fares are the same no matter the distance. I opted to stay a little out of the city not far from the large hydrapark, which was a great place to explore. There was a market in front of the guesthouse and easy access to the metro, meaning easy access to anywhere in Kiev. I spent a couple days wandering around the various parks in the area which really were packed with people over the weekend. There are actually really nice looking beaches right off the Dnieper river, making me wish my trip was closer to summer to enjoy them. I took in many of the sights including independence square, the large monestary on the hill and the Chernobyl museum. There is plenty to see out there and I’d definitely head back. The food at the markets and supermarkets was cheap and there are plenty of restaurants that will not break the bank. My favorite meal was the freshly made nalisniki (I know them as peirogi) which are dumplings filled with meat or potatoes… excellent! There are dorm options in the city, some right across from the huge monastery which is one of the best places to visit in the city; I opted for a small guesthouse on the outskirts of town. I would rate Kiev’s hotel prices outside the budget travel realm, but thankfully food, transportation and entertainment can easily be had on tight budget. I was also impressed with the amount of connections by train. I’d like to take advantage of this on a future visit with open jaw flights and train connection inbetween. While many people do not speak English here, I was able to get around relatively easy and used the downloaded Ukrainian language file in Google Translate app when I got sick and needed some hot water at the guesthouse!